The present invention relates to a game, and more particularly to a game wherein each player attempts to score goals by driving game pieces into the goal of an opponent.
There exist many different goal-scoring games, but typically these games have a playing field defining a spaced-apart plurality of goals adjacent the periphery thereof for receipt of game pieces. A plurality of movable game pieces are provided for movement about the field and into the goals. Each player is provided with player-operated impacting means, frequently disposed adjacent to and associated with each of the goals, for impacting one of the game pieces to drive the impacted game piece away from the associated goal (and hopefully towards the opponent's goal). Typically only one game piece is on the playing field at a given time, thus limiting the play value of the game. Indeed, in order to "speed up" the game, attempts have been made to speed up the movement of the game pieces about the field (for example, as in air hockey where an air cushion reduces the friction between the game pieces and the playing field, thereby to increase puck speed).
However, even these improvements fail to retain the interest of children raised on video arcade games where the player is attempting to "shoot down," "capture," "knock out" or the like a multitude of characters or vehicles rapidly approaching the player with hostile intent. Indeed, there may be tens to hundreds of these hostile pieces closing in on the player at a given instant. Accordingly, to a video game graduate, the play value of a game is minimal where there is but a single game piece in movement at a time.
Conventional pinball machines have typically permitted a number of balls to be on the playing field and "in play" at a given time if the player so elected by initially shooting two balls simultaneously or in rapid succession, with the second ball entering the playing field before the first ball left it. Typically no more than two balls are in play at any given time and, as the pinball machine has only five balls, a maximum of five balls may be in play at a given time. Some games have attempted to provide multiple game pieces by allowing each player to introduce into play a separate game piece, but the number of game pieces in play simultaneously was then limited by the number of players. Even were the players able to each introduce into play a plurality of game pieces during play of the game, the number of game pieces in play at a given time would not greatly exceed the number of players since the players, occupied with defending their goals and attempting to score goals against their opponents, have little time to expend on bringing new game pieces into play.
In order to ensure fairness, each game piece should be introduced into play in a manner which does not favor any one player over another, and with no player having control over the dispensing process.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a goal-scoring game including means for storing a plurality of game pieces and introducing them into play one at a time in rapid succession so that there is typically a large number of game pieces in play at any given time.
Another object is to provide such a game wherein the number of game pieces in play at any given time typically exceeds the number of players.
A further object is to provide such a game having a high play value with game pieces being introduced into play at a rate of about one per second.
It is another object to provide such a game wherein the game pieces are put into play impartially and without player control of the process.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide such a game which is simple and easy to manufacture, maintain and play.